Section 23 in The Bihar Forest Produce (Regulation of Trade) Act, 1984
23. Compounding of offences.
- State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, empower Forest Officer to-(i)accept from any person against whom a reasonable suspicion exists, that he has committed any offence punishable under this Act a sum of money by way of compensation for the offence which such person is suspected to have committed; and(ii)when any specified forest produce has been seized as liable to confiscation, to release the same on payment of the value thereof as estimated by such officer.(2)On payment of such sum of money or such value or both as the case may be, to such officer the suspected person shall be discharged, the specified forest produce and other property, if any, seized, shall be released and no further, proceedings shall be taken against such person or property.(3)A Forest Officer shall not be empowered under this section unless he is a forest officer of a rank not inferior to that of an Assistant Conservator of Forests and the sum of the money accepted as compensation under clause (i) of sub-section (1) shall in no case exceed the sum of one thousand rupees.
